Monday, February 11, 2008
9:43 AM

Heidelberg

After barely 2 hours of sleep after rushing ABS Markets seminar paper, with the Happy Weekend Ticket we took a train to Heidelberg via Wiesbaden and Darmstadt. You know you are in a tourist’s spot when you see Japanese, Korean or Chinese words everywhere on the shops, Asian-looking people walking around, angmohs with an American accent and not the typical German accent, and pictures with many people in them.

View atop Heiliggeistkirche; Bratwurst mit Pommes Frites in a restaurant

They said the Altstadt (old state) is a must-go place. It has the oldest Universität in Germany, and even have a student prison where they used to look up naughty students. Right beside the Universitätplatz was Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirits/ Ghosts) where the bodies of Prince-Elector Rupert III and his Princess lay. Atop a 204 spiral tower climb was a spectacular view of the Altstadt. I realize too that I have itchy hands that refuse to leave any door alone; I have to try to open every one of them.

Walking along the market streets, the hill flanking the Neckar Valley slowly came into view, and there you see the Heidelberger Schloß halfway up the hill. No wonder this place is recommended on my travel book; it's beautiful, albeit touristy. The castle looks much larger than any Schloß we see in the Rheingau. We paid 10€ for a tour up the castle, complete with explanation. We could have walked up, and figured everything out ourselves, but I guess we could have difficulty figuring out how to get up there, or the history behind the place.

The gate to the garden dedicated to Princess Elizabeth

A Renaissance Architecture in the Schloß

Look out of the castle window, like a Princess

In the Apothekenmuseum

Guess who?

Sunset view from the bridge

The Schloß, lit!

same pic, taken with a different mode